Ellisdon Laboratory
Structural Biology of Signalling
and Cancer
Welcome to the Ellisdon Lab
Our laboratory investigates how cells sense nutrients, control growth and coordinate signalling in cancer, metabolic and inflammatory disease. We use structural biology, protein biochemistry, cell biology and computational approaches to reveal how multi-component protein complexes assemble, function and malfunction in disease.
We're part of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, and a member of the Cancer and Immunity Programs, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Professor Andrew Ellisdon
My global research connections, partners and funding can be viewed on my Monash Research Profile.
If you are a student interested in doing research in our lab, visit Supervisor Connect.
Click the links below to connect with me on ORCID, Google Scholar and LinkedIn.
Our research
Visualising cell signalling in action
The Ellisdon Lab studies structural biology, membrane protein signalling, GPCR biology, nutrient sensing and cytokine signalling. We use cryo-electron microscopy, protein biochemistry, cell biology and AI-enabled protein design to understand the molecular machines that control cell behaviour in cancer, metabolic and immune disease.
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How cells sense nutrients and control growth
Cells constantly measure nutrient availability and adjust growth, metabolism and recycling pathways accordingly. We study how these decisions are organised at lysosomes, specialised organelles that act as both recycling centres and signalling platforms inside the cell. We use cryo-EM, protein biochemistry, reconstitution of purified complexes, cross-linking mass spectrometry, proteomics, live-cell imaging and computational modelling to understand how nutrient-sensing protein supercomplexes assemble and switch between active and inactive states.
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GPCRs in metabolism
We investigate how GPCRs and GPCR-like proteins control metabolic signalling from inside the cell. A major focus is GPR155/LYCHOS, a cholesterol-responsive lysosomal membrane protein linked to mTORC1 signalling, while our broader goal is to understand how intracellular GPCR-like proteins act as metabolic sensors across diverse nutrient-sensing pathways.
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AI-enabled protein design for new therapeutics
We use structural biology, protein engineering and AI-enabled design to create new protein-based therapeutics. A major focus is designing cytokine-inspired biologics and small protein binders that target IL-1 family receptor pathways, with broader applications across inflammatory disease, immunity and other signalling systems.
Lab members
We are committed to excellence in research.
Join Our Lab
We're always interested in collaborating with bright and motivated researchers, clinicians and industry. Whether you want to research, study or partner with us to accelerate our discoveries, find out about the work we do.